A lot of people consider prison to be a blessing in bad disguise. These people consist of inmates who are currently serving time or former inmates who have already completed their sentence, but just like any other blessing, life in prison is also full of challenges. Those who are ill-prepared for life inside a cell can sometimes get swallowed up by challenges.
Prisoners are given handbooks but not everybody gets the chance to read them. Those who want to know how to survive in a Ohio Department of Correction facility must ensure that they read the jail’s handbook. It is important that prisoners understand and follow all the house rules and regulations. Violating any of these rules and regulations can lead to further punishment while inside the prison. The prison staff may even file cases against them if they make serious violations.
These rules and regulations are also uploaded on the Ohio State Department of Corrections website. The prisoners’ families and friends can take the time to visit the website so they can also read the prison’s rules and regulations.
Aside from following the rules, prisoners who want to know how to survive in a Ohio Department of Correction facility may join programs specifically designed for them. The state of Ohio offers a lot of programs but the most recommended one is called the Second Chance to Change. It is a program that includes 10 IPP sub-programs. This program is highly recommended for those who have been convicted because of drunk driving, illegal substance abuse, robbery and other serious offenses.
Prisoners who want to know how to survive in a Ohio Department of Correction facility may also join workshops. Community Restorative Justice Workshop is an example of the classes and workshops that prisoners may participate in. Prisoners who have completed this program may perform supervised community services. This will let prisoners enhance their talents and skills. A facilitator will conduct exams and interviews to determine the skills that the prisoners may develop and use once they are released.
Secondary programs are offered to those who want to prepare themselves for life after prison. The programs offered by the State of Ohio Corrections can help prisoners survive and live better lives.
Finding jobs is quite a challenge for those who were incarcerated but completing trainings, workshops and programs will let them find employers who are willing to give jobs. These programs don’t just help them increase their chances of getting decent jobs once they are released from prison. The programs and workshops will also help them increase their self-confidence.
Resume writing, effective parenting, computer literacy, decision-making skills, transitional education, values clarification, GED completion and ABE classes, relapse prevention/substance abuse recovery, and marketable employment are some of the programs offered to prisoners. Examinations, evaluations and interviews will be conducted to assess if the prisoners are qualified to join the programs.
Some programs are offered for free while others are offered for a certain fee. The prisoners’ families and friends may pay for the fees by using credit or debit cards, personal or business checks, or they may send money orders to the prison personnel. Aside from those programs that help prepare the inmates for a life out of prison, there are also a few survival tips that they can use while they are incarcerated. These include:
Eat as well as you can – Admittedly, prison food leaves a lot to be desired. The staple in most prisons mostly consist of high-carb and greasy foods. As everybody knows, this kind of meal does not contain enough nutrients to help maintain the body’s well-being. One thing that inmates can do is to supplement it with food from other sources.
For instance, those who have enough canteen credit can trade this in for a can of tuna. Just make sure that the tuna is packed in water. Also note that Ohio’s correction facility has a correctional commissary that provides better food options for inmates. As much as possible, take advantage of the healthy food options provided by the commissary.
The Ohio Department of Corrections does allow inmates to receive funds from approved external sources. Try to use your funds wisely. Also, note that water is free even in prison, so stay hydrated as much as possible.
Exercise – Life in prison can be sluggish. Inmates follow a daily routine that almost never changes during the course of their imprisonment. The routine can lead to boredom, which leads to most inmates losing interest in their physical well-being. This is why a lot of prisoners tend to gain weight with every year that they spend inside the facility.
However, if you ever have any plans of surviving outside of prison again, then it is best to ensure that your body is well-prepared. Doing some daily exercises is the best way to ensure a healthy physique. These exercises have to include stretching, resistance and aerobic exercises. It should be easy to insert these into the daily routine since prison life entails having a lot of free time to burn.
Expect the unexpected – Before most prisoners are sent in for their sentence, they are often given a list of things to expect. They are also led to believe that prison routine always runs on a fixed schedule, but this is so far from the truth. So don’t set yourself up for frustration and disappointment by expecting life to run as smoothly as it did before prison.
The best way to cope with the uncertainties is to look for ways to occupy your time. Befriend other inmates and trade stories with them, or better yet, trade some skills. The skill may be as trivial as juggling recreational balls or playing card tricks, but the process of learning these skills should be enough to exercise the brain.
Most prisoners find it hard to survive in prison. Well, it is not hard to understand why having something to work on will give them high hopes and bigger chances of surviving when they are transitioned back into the community.
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